One of the many reasons heel strike running is bad for the lower leg is its the only running style that causes ‘chronic exertional compartment syndrome’, which causes chronic throbbing lower leg pain. This is because at heel strike, a burst in collisional impact is always produced that also always exceeds tolerance, and cushioned running shoes were found to be ineffective in dampening this impact. The burst in collisional impact was found to cause intramuscular pressure of the lower leg to rise to pain-inducing levels, but was fully resolved with forefoot running! Read more here!
